Customer service updates, payments, and more in the latest Host Update with Catherine Powell

[Airbnb]

The past few months have been a tough time for all of us, especially hosts and guests. We’ve been listening closely to your feedback in all its forms and working tirelessly to create solutions because we know that encountering delays—especially when it comes to customer service or payments—is incredibly frustrating. 

In the latest Host Update, Catherine Powell sits down with Tara Bunch, our new Global Head of Operations, to offer transparency about how we’re strengthening our customer service team and to explain more about our payment process for hosts. Once you’ve watched the video, we’d really love to hear from you. Please let us know what you’d like covered in future Host Updates with Catherine. As always, thank you for sharing the topics that matter to you.

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[Sharon1014]

Hi @Catherine-Powell , just curious, since your profile says you live in Malibu, how come you always seem to post in the wee hours of US Pacific Coast time around 2-4 am, which coincidentally is around 10 am to 12 noon London time.  Are you frequently up in the dead of night in LA posting on here or is someone in the UK office posting on your behalf?  Or are you actually located in the UK and not in Malibu? 

Wouldn't want hosts to be misled about who exactly is responding to them, and am sure you wouldn't want that either.  😀  Thanks for clearing this up.  Cheers.

[Deborah986]

Would never ever use Airbnb again and will tell everyone I possibly can the same.

Not covered under the very limited COVID policy.

We were to attend the Elvis Festival in January 2020 which has now been cancelled due to due to Covid and trying to get in contact in contact with Airbnb to liaise with them regarding my $439.00 admin fee which they took is almost impossible.  Airbnb never ever again!

[Katie]

Hi @Deborah986, welcome to the Community Center, and I'm sorry to hear about the issue you've been having. I checked in with the team and they have no open cases for you - if you contact them then they should be able to look into this for you though. We have a handy guide on how to contact Support here, or you can send them a direct message here. I hope this helps 😊

[Kesh0]

Give a thumbs up if you've had a bad or terrible experience with the Airbnb call center prior to covet-19

I hope to think that this is the beginning of a major change for how Airbnb deals with their call centers not just having enough employees but the quality of those employees as well although this sure seems to me to be corporate whitewashing

@Catherine-Powell

[Marsha-And-Bill0]

In regards to your customer service, why is it so bad?  I am a super host, almost one month ago a guest lit a property that I manage on fire!!!  I have called Airbnb several times and till this day no one has contacted me!!!!   It is beyond frustrating when something this urgent doesn't seem to matter to Airbnb! The house caught on fire for goodness sake.  Please have someone call me asap this is urgent!  There needs to be a faster response to emergencies!!  Its been weeks and no one has contacted me.

[Cathie19]

@Airbnb ?

@Liv ? @Katie? @

@Catherine-Powell ?

😊

Hi @Marsha-And-Bill0 . Always best if you tag someone from Airbnb Community Centre, so they get a notification. 💐

[Irene620]

wow I'm having a similar experience with Airbnb.  Guests broke bedroom door.  The Ring Door camera recorded the guest walking out the frontdoor with the door. Guest ignores  airbnb and me. Airbnb denies claim. Mind boggling 

@Airbnb 

[Catherine-Powell]

Hi @Marsha-And-Bill0,

Thank you for this message. I'm so sorry to learn about what happened to your listing. I believe the team sent several messages to you and are awaiting a response, but I will ask them to reach out again, so please expect a message shortly.

Thanks, Catherine

[Irene620]

Lately, Airbnb has been real slow to respond to resolution claims. On top of that,  Airbnb support staff are looking for technicalities to deny the claims. Very frustrating and disappointing. 

[Isaac213]

For some reason I am not visible to travelers using the "Traveling for Work" filter even though I have been told I meet all of the criteria. I have been back and forth with customer service for over three months without resolution, and at this point it appears my followup messages are being ignored. 

[Irene620]

Lately, @Airbnb has been extremely slow to respond to Resolution Claims.

When @Airbnb does respond,  the support staff are not helpful and seem to look for technicalities to deny the claims.

Recently,  I have a claim on a guest who broke a bedroom door. The guest is ignoring @Airbnb and the host(me). I send in pictures and a video of the guest literally walking out the frontdoor with the door and @elena @Airbnb  denies claim for bizarre reasons. 

I have other horror stories on guests cramming over 50 people into our two bedroom house, and airbnb going radio silent on the issue,  but that's a whole other story for another day......

I just made a new claim yesterday on a guest literally staining a mattress with a puddle of Urine.  No response from guest. Im holding my breath and waiting for the 72hrs wait period to contact @Airbnb and go through the back and forth drama with airbnb support staff.

@Katie 

@Airbnb 

[Katie]

Hi @Irene620, welcome to the Community Center 😊 I'm really sorry to hear you've had this issue with your guests - I've just sent you a DM with an update on your case, so please do check this when you have a minute.

[Diane1041]

You mentioned a new tab on the dashboard "opportunities" I do not have this new tab.

[Katie]

Hey @Diane1041, welcome to the Community Center, and thanks for getting involved here. You can find more info on the Opportunities Tab and where to locate it here. I hope this helps 😊

[Amanda940]

I want more control over the cancellation policy.  I should have the final say of what if any amount to refund my guests.  1 day AFTER my guest was supposed to check in for an 18 day stay, they were given a full refund for extenuating circumstances.  They had called and asked what their options were since they believed the air quality in the area was poor.  A customer service rep told me that is not covered then I received a notification of their cancellation and full refund!  I have called again after this and have to wait up to 48 hours for a call back explaining why they were allowed this.  Again, I should be contacted first before issuing a full refund.  The guest likely lied or made something else up to get their refund.  So a guest can block a significant portion of my calendar for several months and cancel penalty free 1 day after they were supposed to check in is Not acceptable.  So burnt out on the lack of control I should have on my property listing and feeling frustrated and not listened to.  I also use VRBO and have total control over these issues with VRBO giving suggestions but I have the final decision.  I will be only using VRBO from now on for both of my properties.  Airbnb needs to listen to their longtime Superhosts or a competitor will come along and get their business.   Hopefully someone who uses the positives of Airbnb and VRBO and combines them will arrive on the vacation rental scene.  Genius! Only a matter of time before we hosts have a better option.